Fra·gili·ty

 

 

Fra·gili·ty -  Capable of being easily broken, damaged, or destroyed

 

 

 

Once again this past week, I witnessed the fragility of life. After being reminded of this fragility by Sandy Hook, something much closer to home happened. A woman my wife had worked for, personally known and deeply respected, started off this school year not feeling well. After numerous doctor visits, it was finally diagnosed - blood cancer. Just turning 60, she was looking forward to enjoying retirement with her husband. She checked into a hospital for treatment and was told the grim prognosis - maybe six months to live. Unfortunately, the prognosis was wrong. She died last week.

 

This is all too familiar. During the prior school year, the social worker started out the year not feeling quite up to par. This was unusual, as this man was always high octane energy. Every year, he was universally loved by students, staff and parents alike. To make a sad story short, it was found out he had pancreatic cancer and by the end of the school year he was dead. Just turned 60, ready for retirement, and now gone. A man who was always there, always around for everyone, was then there no more. Gone.

 

I think it is good and healthy for all of us to remember how precious, how fragile, life is. Our plans, our hopes, our desires, are often sidetracked by this thing called death. Dreams deferred are often dreams denied by this uninvited, unplanned guest. We have all been there. I will get to that next year, next month, tomorrow. As we found out at Sandy Hook, sometimes something as innocent as dropping off a child at school in the morning, ends up in sadness and grief by the end of the day. Life is so very fragile. As much as we hope it will last for a hundred years, sometimes it will last only a few hundred more seconds. 

Today, I will once again think about loved ones and close friends who are no longer here. People to share with, to laugh with, to talk with, sometimes even to cry with. I am very aware that opportunities to be with or talk with those I care about are not promised, not guaranteed. We have been given these nuggets of time that have more value than any anything bought with money.  

So today I will talk a little kinder, hug a little tighter, and love a little deeper. Life goes way too fast as it is, and the end date is seldom known. Life, the greatest of gifts, with all its fragility, teaches us to live in the moment. Sometimes we have just the moment - anything beyond that is only a hope.